Numerous governmental and private entities produce and sell scratch-off gaming tickets. State lottery tickets are a particularly popular form of scratch-off ticket. These tickets usually employ a protective coating of latex, which covers hidden numbers, symbols or other types of indicia printed on a substrate of the ticket. The player who purchases the ticket usually uses his or her fingernail or a thin/sharp object such as a coin or paperclip to scratch away the latex so that the hidden indicia are revealed. This normal technique for removing the latex from the substrate is messy, tedious and time consuming. Quite often, latex residue is deposited on the user's hands, fingernails and/or clothing. In some cases, a coin, paperclip or other sharp/thin item is unavailable. This can be frustrating, particularly for a player who is anxious to read the hidden material on the ticket.
Recently, the security surrounding lottery and gaming tickets has increased. It has become more difficult to circumvent the protective coating on the tickets. An improved technique for removing and disposing of the latex coating is required; however, it is still usually necessary to physically scratch-off the coating before it is removed.
A compact and easy to use, handheld device would greatly facilitate removal and disposal of latex coating from a lottery ticket. To date, no such device is available for that purpose. In addition, such a handheld device could used for other applications including the removal of lint, dirt, animal hair, etc. from clothing, upholstery, rugs, etc. A need exists for a device of this type which is extremely compact, easy to use without creating a mess and readily disposable.